In October 2018, several security guards working at a World Cup stadium in Qatar were still in jail after a dispute over unpaid wages. The court had ordered their release on bail, but the men remained detained as their employer, the security company UBTECH, continued to refuse to pay the workers’ wages. This was seen as a violation of labor laws.
The incident highlighted the ongoing issue of migrant labor exploitation and human rights abuses in Qatar, which is set to host the 2022 World Cup. There had been numerous cases of companies withholding workers’ wages, and many workers had been unable to leave the country because of these debts. The security guards were eventually released after their employer agreed to pay the wages owed.